Hurrican Harvey unleashed not only a vast aount of human and physical damage, but also an outpouring of angry controversy. Consider the charge of hypocrisy leveled at Texas Senator Ted Cruz by New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie. Cruz had fiercely opposed a bill of disaster relief in 2012 to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy on the east coast, but now is pleading for federal support to help Texas:

Sandy shouldn’t be the issue, it’s claim was not unheeded,But the bail-out was excessive, far much greater than was needed.Now is not a time to quibble and delays would sorely vex us.Forget about New Jersey, this is different, this is Texas!

Then cartoonists weighed in. Many of them lauded the spirit of help and cooperation lavished on the victims by other Americans. But some, at the risk of seeming insensitive and ill-mannered, have used the occasion to score political points. Trump was an inevitable target. He was shown congratulating himself when visiting the shattered region on the size of the crowd. He was Dr. Jekyll, bringing a message of “Love to America”, and Mr. Hyde ranting about fake news. Some cartoonists were criticized for aiming their darts directly at Texans. Politico’s Matt Wuerker depicted a Texan being helicoptered out of the flood, thanking “Angels! Sent by God” whiIe it was actually “the coast guard sent by the government.” But for bitter satirical invective the prize must go to France’s Charlie Hebdo for its cover showing stiff-armed salutes and swastikas raised from underneath flood waters, along with the text ¨God exists! He drowned all the neo-Nazis of Texas”!

Posted on Monday, September 04, 2017 (Archive on Sunday, May 31, 2020)